Restraining pets outdoors has heretofore been challenging. Persons desiring to take their pet on trips, to sporting events, hunting, etc.; to have the companionship of their pet while working outdoors; and to engage in other outdoor activities with their pet are often required to secure the pet on a leash and thereafter to a stationary object. Traditional methods and devices used for tying a pet to a stationary object result in limited mobility of the pet because the leash, rope, or the like used to secure the pet becomes tangled or wrapped around the stationary object.
Other options for securing a pet outdoors include securing the pet to a stake or auger, providing an enclosure, or holding on to the pet's leash or rope. Stakes or augers secured in the ground are easily pulled out by the pet if not used properly; providing an enclosure such as a fence or pen is not always feasible or practical; and holding onto a leash or rope restrains activity of the pet owner as much as that of the pet.
The present invention comprises a leash ring which overcomes the foregoing and other difficulties which have long since characterized the prior art. In accordance with the broader aspects of the invention, a leash ring secures about a tree, pole or similar stationary object for rotation thereabout and comprises means for securing a leash thereto.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention a leash ring comprises opposed side members which are pivotally secured together by a threaded fastener at the proximal ends thereof, the threaded fastener further receiving a leash retaining member for pivotal movement with respect thereto. To close the leash ring, the side members are brought together until opposing teeth on the distal ends thereof mesh in rigid mating engagement. A locking pin is thereafter inserted into apertures extending through aligned bosses adjacent the opposed teeth thereby retaining the ring in its closed condition. Once secured around a tree or similar stationary object the leash ring rotates freely thereby enabling a pet secured thereto to move about freely without becoming entangled.
In accordance with other embodiments of the invention a leash ring comprises a semi-flexible, circularly shaped member that receives the loop handle of a pet leash and is thereafter extended around a tree or other stationary object. Locking members formed integrally with the circularly shaped member secure the leash ring in its closed condition.